Aeromancist, The Beginning (SECOND EDITION) - Charmaine Pauls Page 0,40
he loved her gently.
For a long time afterward, they stayed under the warmth of the covers. When he finally pulled away, it was with reluctance.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he said, “but I have to work.”
She had a suspicion. “On what?” He opened his mouth, but she added before he could speak, “Please, don’t lie to me anymore, Lann. I’m trying hard to trust you.”
“All right,” he said with a somber expression. “I’m trying to track David.”
“I won’t let you endanger your life.”
His features contorted with rage. “Not finding him and that bastard Godfrey is endangering yours.”
“You said we’re safe here.”
He got to his feet, naked, and already aroused again. “And I’m working at keeping you safe.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered with a sudden attack of guilt. “I don’t want to be responsible for you risking your life.”
He picked up his pants and pulled them over his hips. “It’s all my own doing. The blame is all mine, sweetheart.”
Sitting up, she clutched the sheet to her breasts. “Can we stop talking about blame, please?”
“What do you want to talk about?” He grabbed his shirt from the chair and yanked it over his head. “Your refusal to marry me?”
“You’re upset. We’ll talk about that when you’re calm.”
“Upset is a light way of putting it.” He sat down on the chair to pull on his socks and shoes. “It doesn’t come close to describing how I feel knowing my woman and unborn child’s lives are in danger.”
“David said he didn’t want to harm the baby.”
“Only you?” Lann asked, his eyes turning a pale shade of gold. “And if our child ever landed in any gift collector’s claws, death would seem like a merciful fate.”
Her heart contracted. Her breath caught. If anything happened to her baby…
Cursing under his breath, he moved to her side and cupped her cheek. “I’m sorry, Katherine. I didn’t mean to upset you, but I promised to keep you and our baby safe, and I’ll give my life to do it.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” she whispered. “One of us has to take care of him.”
He dropped his hand and curled his fingers into fist. “Please stop reminding me of the fact that you’re going to die.”
It wasn’t her intention. She only needed his promise that he’d keep himself safe. She needed to know their baby would be cared for.
“Lann, I—”
She was going to explain, but he turned so abruptly, she swallowed her words.
“My lust is the reason you’re going to die,” he said with his back to her. “It’s the reason I can’t live with myself.”
With that, he walked from the room, slamming the door so hard it shook in the frame.
If it hadn’t been for the circumstances, dinner would almost have been a party. Everyone residing in the castle was present, and their guest of honor was Erwan. Kat took an immediate liking to the Breton fisherman. He reminded her of her grandfather.
Dinner was served in the big dining room, and afterward the men cleared the table while Kat and Eve loaded the dishwasher. Clelia saw to the animals, and Cain prepared espresso.
Lann politely refused an espresso. When the others went to the lounge with their coffee, Lann excused himself. Kat followed his example. She went back to the room to check her emails on the laptop Lann had given her. Up to now, she’d avoided the task that awaited because she didn’t know how to explain where she was, or why, but after speaking to her mom, she had a clearer idea of what to say.
Kat sent an email to Diana, telling her that she was going home to see her parents for Easter to break the news of her pregnancy to them. She again asked Diana not to say anything until she’d had a chance to tell them in person.
For a while, she contemplated what to tell Charles. She couldn’t break the news of dropping out without alarming her parents. The only solution that came to mind was to stall until she’d dealt with her parents. Her mind made up, she sent an email to Charles, telling him that she’d been unwell and was about two weeks behind schedule. She told him she’d catch up, but didn’t say anything about not being in Santiago any longer.
Then she ordered a few pregnancy books online and downloaded them to her laptop. She was three pages into the first book when she fell asleep.
When Lann entered the room, Kat was propped up on the pillows, her eyes closed and